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Florida is the landing spot for one of the most coveted defensive players available in the transfer portal. On Sunday, former Penn defensive lineman Joey Slackman committed to Billy Napier and the Gators.
Slackman comes to Gainesville with one year of eligibility remaining. After being a lightly-recruited high school prospect, Slackman was being courted by all the major FBS programs once he hit the portal. Texas A&M, Auburn, USC, Michigan, Washington, Missouri, Miami, Wisconsin, and North Carolina, among others, were all interested in his services.
The Gators closed the deal.
Let’s get to work, @GatorsFB ?. pic.twitter.com/NR6BzHyG1S
— Joey Slackman (@JoeySlackman) December 18, 2023
A 6-foot-4, 300-pound defensive lineman, Slackman was a First Team All-Ivy selection in 2023 after posting 50 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and four sacks in nine games. He also broke up a pass and blocked a kick.
For his efforts, he became the 10th Penn player in program history to win the Bushnell Cup as the Ancient Eight’s most outstanding defensive player.
In 28 career games for Penn, he had 115 tackles, 25 TFLs, 11 sacks, three pass breakups, and two forced fumbles. He was a captain this past fall and a 10-game starter in 2022.
As a high school recruit, Slackman was an All-State football selection out of Commack, New York, but he was also one of the best wrestling prospects in the country. He was the New York State Wrestling Champion in 2019 and initially went to Penn to wrestle.
Slackman joins former San Diego State tackle Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson as the Gators’ known transfer pledges thus far in the winter window. Crenshaw-Dickson also revealed his commitment on Sunday.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
